Folding couch-bed



Dec. 29, 1931. J. BASILE FOLDING COUCH BED 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 3, 1926 f f l l HUI/1. fl] l HHHHHHH'H'IIH RW, O TI MM wp E f nim, fm. @f Qd i w J O IQ/ ATTORNEY- Dec. 29, 1931.

J. BASILE 1,838,293

FOLDING COUCH BED Filed Nov. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HIIIIIIIIIHHIHIIIH ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITE@ STATES PATENT orifice JOSEPH BASILE, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.; ASSIGNOR T0 GREENPOIT METALLIC BED GO., INC., F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OIE' NEW YORK FOLDING @OUCH-BED rlhis invention relates to improvements in folding bed structures, and has particular reference 'tosuch devices which may be adjusted for selective use as a single bed or couch, or as a double bed.

y An important "object of the invention is to provide a folding bed structure of the above mentioned character having a pair of relatively movable bed-spring sections with a simplified form of connecting means whereby they may be simultaneously moved to either open or closed positions.

Another obj ect is to provide such a folding bed structure wherein elevating members for one of the spring sections are directly connected with laterally swinging supporting members for the other spring section, thereby eliminating the intermediate linkage which has been customary in similar folding beds of the prior art.

Another object is to provide such a folding bed structure which will be extremely simple in construction, economical to manu facture, strong and durable in service, and easily operable.

rlhese andl other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein apreferred embodiment of the inventionis shown by way of illustration.

In its broader aspects the invention contemplates the provision of a folding couchbed wherein a pair of bed-spring sections are supported upon a stationary main frame, said bed-sprinfr sections being` adapted for adjustment whereby they may be selectively superimposed or disposed in lateral juxtaposition7 dependent upon whether the struc# ture is to be used as a couch or as a double bed.v More specifically, one of the bed sections is mounted for lateral swinging movement to a position in front of the stationary main frame, while the other bed section is capable of vertical movement within the main frame, and the two bed-spring sections are connected together by a simplified form of supporting' levers whereby they may be simuln taneously moved to either of their positions. The construction is such that a couch-bed embodying the invention may employ any type of mattress-supporting spring desired, and it is particularly adapted for the employment of the coil springs so much in demand at the present time. 1When such coil springs lare used, the complete spring sections have'substantial thickness and as a result it is neces- Y sary to provide means whereby the adjacent edges of the spring sections will not inter! fere with each other when movedfrom the open position of the bed to the closed position. To this end the supporting mechanism" is so designed as to impart a tilting motion to the inner bed spring section in the beginning of the movement of the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, y Figure 14 is an end elevation 'of the improved couch-bed in its closed position such as for use as a couch; f Figure 2 is a similar view with the parts in extended or open position, such as for use a double-bed; d j Figure 3 isa top plan view of the extended device; 1 Y Figure 4 Y is an enlarged detail sectional view longitudinally of the bed to illustrate the deflected portions at the top of the main frame and the stops for thelevers';

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse 'sectional view through the complete'bed in partly ex? tended condition; and Fig. 6 isa diagram to illustrate the tilting movement of the verti-` cally movable bed spring section. In carrying out the invention, a stationary main frame 10 is provided7 said frame including four upright corner posts 11 connected to? gether by end rails 12, 4and front andV rear rails 13 and 14 respectively. This assemblage is of rectangular form, and the corner posts ll are preferably of steel angle construction, secured to said end and sidel rails as by rivets l5. 4 l

Associated with the main frame 10 is a pair of bed-spring sections 16 and 17.'the inner section i6 being capable of vertical movement with reference tothe stationary frame, while thel outer section 17 is adapted to be superimposed A thereon when the device is' folded in `for use as a couch, and arranged to be swung outwardly to a position in front of the main frame when extended for use as a double bed. The inner bed spring section 16 may be fabricated as desired, preferably from structural steel bars and may include a pair of end members 18 connected together by longitudinal rails 19 secured thereto as by rivets 20. The rails 1 and 19 are arranged in rectangular formation and of such proportions as to fit within the corner post 11 of the main frame with substantial clearance, as indicated at 21 in Fig. 3. The outer bed spring section 17 is also of rectangular formation and includes end members 22 connected together by longitudinal rails 23 and provided at its front corners with depending legs 24 by which the spring section may be partially supported when in its extended position. The bed spring sections 16 and 17 may embody any desired type of mattress support, and in Figures 2 and 5 a plurality of coil springs 25 have been shown diagrammatically as supportingthe mattresses 26 and 27. The inner and outer spring sections are connected together for movementin unison, the connecting means including certain levers arranged at each end of the device, and since said connecting or elevating mechanism is the same at each end of the bed, only one set will be described in detail.

Each of the end rails 12 is provided with a pair of extension plates 28 and 29, said plates being shown in the drawings as of triangular formation and secured to said end rails 12 bv means of rivets 30 or the like. A pair of bell-crank levers 31 and 32 are respectively pivoted at 33 and 33l to the extension plates 28 and 29 and each of said levers is directly connected with both of the bed spring sections. The lever 31 includes an arm 34 which connected by means of a pin or bolt 31a to the vertical flange 36 of the end rails 18 of the inner hed spring section. and an arm 35 which is piv'otally connected at 37 to the end rail 22 of the outer bed spring section. Similarlv the lever 32 includes arm 38 which is connected at 39 to the flange 36 of the inner bed spring section and an arm 40 which is pivotallv connected at 41 to the end rail 22 of the outer bed spring section. The distances between the pivotal points 33, 37 and 34. 41 are preferably equal and from this it will be evident that the outer bed spring section 17 may be swung with reference to the main frame 10 and always maintained in a substantiallv horizontal posi-tion during its swinging movement.V The plates 28 and 29 to which said hell-crank levers are pivoted are preferably disposed forwardlyv of the longitudinal center of the main frame 1,0, and the pivotal centers 33 an d 34 are spaced a substantial distance above the lower ends of the` corner posts 11. As best shown in Figure 3 the arm 35 of the bell crank 31 is provided with an offset at 43 and the extremity of said arm is connected with the outer side of the end-rail 22, whereas the extremity of the arm 40 of the lever 32 is connected to the inner side of said end-rail 22. The outer bed spring section 17 is slightly longer than the main frame 10, whereby the vertical flanges of the end rails 22 may straddle the corner posts 11 and the horizontal flanges of said end rails may be supported by the ends of said corner posts when the device is folded in for use as a couch, as shown in Figure 1.

The connecting pins 35 and 39 of the arms 34 and 38 are disposed in slots 44 and 45 in the vertical flange 36 of the end-rail of the inner bed spring section 16. In this manner the extremities of said arms 34 and 38 having a sliding connection with said inner spring section, whereby arcuate movement of the levers will be transformed to vertical movement of the inner bed spring section. In such vertical movement the bed spring section 16 is practically unguided because of the clearance at 21 between the corners of the main frame. In order to firmly hold the spring section against loose longitudinal movement when it is in its upper position, portions of the side flanges of the front corner post 11 are deflected inwardly adjacent the upper end7 as shown at 46 in Figure 4. The upper extremities of said deflected portions 46 are adapted to engage the vertical flanges 36 of the end members 18 holding the inner bedspring section firmly in position.

It will be noted from Figure 2 of the drawings that when the device is moved from its open position there is a likelihood of interference between the inner edge of the spring section 17 and the front edge of the mattress 26 which is carried by the spring section 16, and in order to overcome such interference the levers 31 and 32 are so proportioned as to impart a tilting motion to the spring section 16 as it is initially moved. The effective leverage of the arms 34 and 38 is decided by the distance between their pivots 33 and 34 and their pins 35 and 39. This effective leverage is shorter in the arm 34 than it is in the arm 38 and as a result the said arms do not have a parallel movement. In view of this difference in the effective length of the levers, the pin 39 is moved downwardly at a 1;:

more rapid rate than is the pin 35. This tilting motion is more clearly illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 6 wherein 34A` represents the effective length of the arm 34,

and 38A represents the effective length of the arm 38. When the device is opened out for use as a double bed, the spring section 16 is disposed in a horizontal plane designated by the line 16A, and as the device is folded in, said spring section 16 is tilted to a at 16B with the front edge of said spring section lower than the rear edge.

Secured to each of the front corner posts 11 is a laterally extending plate 47 which is preferably disposed above the corresponding plane, as l* front rail 13 and having its upper edge notched, as at 48, to provide a stop-shoulder or seat 49, against which the edges of the lever arms l0 are adapted to abut when the device is in its fully extended position. In this manner a portion of the weight of the outer spring section 17 is transmitted to the main frame 10 and said outer section 17 being thus firmly supported at its rear edge. In order to assist in the movement of the parts in both directions, the levers 31 are provided with plates 50 having oppositely extending ears 51 and 52. One end of a coil spring 53 is attached to the ear 51, the other end of said spring being attached to the free end of a link 54 which is pivoter at 55to the rear corner post 11, the arrangement being such that the spring 53 is under tension when the bed is extended and being substantially slack when the device is folded in. A similar coil spring 56 has one of its ends attached at 57 to the laterally extending plate 47 on the front corner post 11 and having its other end connected to the ear 52 either directly or indirectly. In the drawings such connection has been shown as being indirect by the use of a short link 58 which is'pivoted to said ear 52. When the device is folded in, the spring 56 is under tension and in this way it is to be noted that the springs 53 and 56 are alternately tensioned or loosened as the device is manipulated, the spring 53 assisting in the initial ciosing movement, while the spring 56 assists in the initial opening movement.

The device has been illustrated in Figure 1 as foided in for use as a couch, and in this condition the inner spring section 16 is positioned comparatively low in the main frame 10 and in such a manner as to leave a substantial space between the two superimposed sprintr sections. Such a space is useful for the storage of blankets, pillows or other bedding materia-l. In operating the de- 'ice the person need only taire hold of some portion of the outer spring section 17 and by exerting a slight upward and outward pull, both of the spring sections will be simultaneously moved to the extended position shown in Figure 2. It is to be noted that the connecting pins 35 and 39 are disposed at the forward ends of the slots i/1 and 45 in both the opened and the closed positions, and such disposition is'important in assisting and `uidthe inner spring section partly to its upper most position. By irtue of the fact that the pivotal centers and 3a are spaced a substantial distance above the iioor line, the arms 35 and 40 are of a minimum length, thus reducing the manufacturing cost by the consequent economy in material required. In facL all of the parts are of extremely simple construction and their arrangement renders the device capable of economical manufacture, both as to labor cost and material necessary. Furthermore in view of the simplicity of construction the device will be strong and durable in service and it is thought to constitute a substantial advance in the art. Obviously the invention is susceptible otnumerous modifications in the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is Y l'. A couch-bed structure including a stationary main frame, a pair of bed-spring sections adapted to be sel-ectively superimposed or disposed in lateral juxtaposition, and a pair of bell-crank 4levers at each end of the main frame for support-ing the bed-spring sections, said levers being pivoted to the main frame and each being directly connected to both the bed-spring sections whereby said sections may be simultaneously moved to either open or closed positions, trie bell-cranks having arms of different effective lengths connected to one of the bed-spring sections,

whereby to impart a tilting movement to that section for clearing the other section at the end of the opening movement and at the beginning of the closing movement of the bed sections.

2. A couch-bed structure including a stationary main frame, inner and outer bedspring sections adapted to be selectively superimposed or disposed in lateral juxtaposition, the inner bed-spring section being vertically movable to substantially the same plane as the outer section when open, and a pair of bell-crank levers at each end of the main frame for supporting the bed-spring sections, each of sai-d bell-crank levers being pivoted to the main frame and having arm-s directly connected to both of the bed-spring sections, the supporting arms for the inner section being of different effective lengths, whereby to impart a tilting movement to that section for clearing the other section at the end of the opening movement and at the beginning of the closing movement of the bed sections.

3. In a couch-bed structure, a stationary main frame having deflected portions at the top, a bed-spring section movable vertically within said main frame, and means for supporting and elevating said bed-spring section,

the bed-spring section being substantially free from guidance by the main frame during its movement, yet being engaged, when in its upper position, by said deflected portions of the main frame to prevent loose lateral movement in that position.

4t. In a couch-bed structure, a stationary main frame including corner posts, a vertically movable bed-spring section, means for supporting and elevating said bed-spring section within the main frame, the bed-spring ico section being of smaller dimensions than the main 'frame whereby to be substantially free from contact therewith during its movement, and the upper ends of the corner posts having inwardly deflected portions for engaging said bed-spring section in its uppermost position to firmly hold it against loose lateral movement.

5. In acouch-bed structure, a stationary main frame, an inner bed-spring section, an outer bed-spring section, and means for moi7` ing said bed-spring sections in unison Whereby they may be selectively superimposed or disposed in lateral juxtaposition, said means including at each end of the structure a pair of bell-orank levers, each of said levers having an arm connected to the outer bed-spring section, and an arm connected to the inner bed-spring section, the arms attached to the outer spring section being of equal length and having a parallel movement, and the arms attached to the inner spring section being angularly disposed with reference to each other, whereby to impart a tilting movement to that section for clearing the other section at the end of the opening movement and at the beginning of the closing movement of the bed sections.

JOSEPH BASILE. 

